In February, ZTE saw its latest 5G kit given the approval seal in Germany after getting the required certifications from the country. In a significant move to address security concerns, Germany is considering banning specific components of Huawei and ZTE in its telecommunications network.
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Germany on Tuesday confirmed that the German Government was conducting a general review of telecoms tech suppliers and had nothing directed at specific manufacturers, according to a Reuters report.
While undertaking a comprehensive reassessment of its relationship with major trading partner China, the German Government has been cautious about specifically targeting Huawei, even as it pushes for legislation that would allow for stricter measures against the company.
According to the report, a specific supplier could be banned from providing critical components if it were deemed directly or indirectly controlled by the Government of another state.
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The general security review conducted by Germany could lead to the Government asking telecom operators to remove or replace components already built into networks, and the current legislation did not plan compensation for operators for such activity.
Referring to reports in German media about a possible ban, the Chinese embassy in Germany said that Beijing would be "very puzzled and strongly dissatisfied" if any such decision were taken.
According to the report, A Huawei spokesperson said it did not comment on speculation and had a "very good security record" during its 20 years of delivering technology to Germany and the rest of the world. A ZTE spokesperson said no evidence had been produced to suggest its products were insecure, but it welcomed external scrutiny.
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Despite operators avoiding the use of Huawei's technology for the core networks, a recent report indicates that Germany has actually increased its reliance on Huawei for its 5G radio access network equipment (RAN) compared to its 4G network.
Meanwhile, the deadline for removing all Huawei equipment from the United Kingdom's 5G networks by the end of 2027 remains unchanged.
